The Eowas And Whannos, We Have Sometimes Seen Covered Before
The King; But Whether By Courtesy, Or By Virtue Of Their Office, We Never
Could Learn.
These men, who are the principal persons about the king, and
form his court, are generally, if not always, his relations; Tee, whom I
have so often mentioned, was one of them.
We have been told, that the
Eowas, who have the first rank, attend in their turns, a certain
number each day, which occasioned us to call them lords in waiting; but
whether this was really so, I cannot say. We seldom found Tee absent;
indeed his attendance was necessary, as being best able to negociate
matters between us and them, on which service he was always employed; and
he executed it, I have reason to believe, to the satisfaction of both
parties.
It is to be regretted, that we know little more of this government than the
general out-line; for, of its subdivisions, classes, or orders of the
constituent parts, how disposed, or in what manner connected, so as to form
one body politic, we know but little. We are sure, however, that it is of
the feudal kind; and if we may judge from what we have seen, it has
sufficient stability, and is by no means badly constructed.
The Eowas and Whannos always eat with the king; indeed I do
not know if any one is excluded from this privilege but the
Toutous. For as to the women, they are out of the question, as they
never eat with the men, let their rank be ever so much elevated.
Notwithstanding this kind of kingly establishment, there was very little
about Otoo's person or court by which a stranger could distinguish the king
from the subject. I seldom saw him dressed in any thing but a common piece
of cloth wrapped round his loins; so that he seemed to avoid all
unnecessary pomp, and even to demean himself more than any other of the
Earees. I have seen him work at a paddle, in coming to and going
from the ship, in common with the other paddlers; and even when some of his
Toutous sat looking on. All have free access to him, and speak to
him wherever they see him, without the least ceremony; such is the easy
freedom which every individual of this happy isle enjoys. I have observed
that the chiefs of these isles are more beloved by the bulk of the people,
than feared. May we not from hence conclude, that the government is mild
and equitable?
We have mentioned that Waheatoua or Tiarabou is related to Otoo. The same
may be said of the chiefs of Eimea, Tapamanoo, Huaheine, Ulietea, Otaha,
and Bolabola; for they are all related to the royal family of Otaheite. It
is a maxim with the Earees, and others of superior rank, never to
intermarry with the Toutous, or others of inferior rank. Probably
this custom is one great inducement to the establishing of the societies
called Eareeoies.
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